Great Britain synchro swimmer Danielle Cooper has suggested that having to focus partly on her GCSE exams while competing at Baku 2015 has helped to break up the stress of the tournament.
Cooper is the youngest member of GB's synchro team at 15 years old, and recently had to take one of her exams at an English school in Baku just a day after arriving in the city.
"All my stuff's going to be confiscated - phone and anything I can get the internet on - because, with the time difference, my friends in England will already have taken their exams and I mustn't find out anything," said Cooper, according to the official Baku 2015 website.
"Everyone's being really helpful here. I was told I didn't have to take the exams out here because it would be considered exceptional circumstances, but I thought it was kind of cheating if I didn't take them.
"Obviously the exams have made it harder than usual, but in a way, it breaks up the stress. Instead of having this one big 'Ooo, this is the European Games', you're thinking 'OK, I've got to concentrate on exams now'."
Other members of GB's team, including Esme Lower and Phoebe Bradley-Smith, have also had to juggle exam commitments while preparing for the tournament.
Christopher Dodd
